Buildings in Place of Morale

“Modern religion is sacrificing its former ‘ruggedness’ and strength of belief on the altar of ‘physical softness and delight,’ a New York rabbi said . . . Rev. Dr. William F. Rosenblum described ‘the supreme passion’ of church and synagogue as a desire to construct magnificent buildings while neglecting the development of ‘a majestic, spiritual people.’ ‘One of the incontrovertible lessons of history is that a nation which dissipated its energies and its wealth in imposing buildings while neglecting to pay equal attention to the morale of its people has always declined and often perished.’”—New York Times, October 2, 1960.